Saturday, January 18, 2014

There's Nothing on the Telly

View Anything Anywhere Anytime

I remember the huge Magnovox television set in our living room.
It was an imposing piece of furniture, not a light flat screen hung on a wall.
You had to walk over and actually push a button for power. Then you had to
rotate the knob to your three or four channel choices. Click – kachunk, Click-
kachunk, Click – kachunk. And the picture was in a grainy black and white. When
“they” talk about the “olden days”, it was not awesome, my friends. It was a
vast barren wasteland of old dudes smoking and reading us the news.

Fast forward to the land of color television, and the remote
control, and cable, and…and…and satellite TV and Netflix. Oh, the chorus of
angels sing Hallelujah. Flat screens, LCD Display, Plasma, High Definition,
Surround sound. Home movie theaters. Download to tablets or your phone! A
million choices – but is anything good?

Well, that’s up to you and there are more and more startups on
the internet that offer FREE programming. Yes, you can pay for Netflix
streaming, but check out hulu.com for alternate free shows. And wait there’s
more. I have not actually watched any of these shows, but I’ve read about them,
and as your entertainment writer, I wanted you to be aware of what’s out there
on the internet or available as apps for your own creative television hookup.
It’s limitless.

www.crackle.com offers old
movies, tv shows, and some new creations – Chosen and Cleaners.

www.pivot.tv launched in
August 2013 and is geared toward ages 18-34. The goal is to spark conversation,
inspire change, and illuminate issues. Check it out and take part. Pivot TV
seeks viewers to create and upload content. Host Joseph Gordon-Levitt of
HitRecord on TV encourages creativity, whether it’s short film, animation or
music. Other new content are Take Part Live, Jersey Strong, Teach, and
Raising McCain.

www.comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com
is Jerry Seinfeld’s foray into new pop culture. He and comedian pals drive
around in expensive cars and talk about whatever they want. It’s quite funny.
The lineup starting Jan. 2014 is Patton Oswalt, Howard Stern, Jay Leno, Tina
Fey, and Louis CK. You can also check out back episodes.

This is only the beginning. I’m sure there are many other sites
that offer new programming and creative outlets. I cannot endorse or vouch for
family friendly viewing. This is a new frontier. At least there’s always a
delete button. Exercise it wisely. And speaking of exercise, maybe I should
suggest you set up some of these shows as you walk on a treadmill. Just saying.
I know I ate a few too many Christmas cookies.

I have started watching Acorn.tv as it has many English shows and mysteries (30 day free trial). I'll take a look at some of these others. I gave up on cable and have been mostly watching online TV or have an antenna for local shows. Thanks for the tips.Ann

Is it that we have become too cynical? We used to enjoy a simple hour of entertainment from our TV but now we expect so much more, maybe too much more. We should go back to making our own entertainment and just switch in for the occasional 'treat'.

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About Me

Joanne Faries, originally from the Philadelphia area, lives in Texas with her husband Ray. She considers herself fortunate to be able to pursue a writing career after eons in the business world. Joanne enjoys reading and movies, and is the film critic for the Little Paper of San Saba.